My first voyage with Voyager

My favourite part of Basics was the Seska-Kazon interactions. How she carefully balanced between telling Cullah on the one hand how stupid he is and on the other hand pleasing him. One could clearly see in what difficult situation she was since the Kazon society obviously isn't one of equal gender rights. That she is very manipulative we could see in previous episodes, but here the stunning part for me was, how much she actually risks to get some power. I really liked Seska, she was one of the most interesting characters on Voyager. Luckily she will show up later again in the episode "worst case scenario", which I strongly recommend, because I enjoyed it tremendously!

But she had meteculously castrated Cullah to the point that every other male kazon on the ship would follow her into hell after she'd stabbed him in the throat on their wedding night. It's almost as if misogyny isn't systematic more so than just something Cullah alone was into balls deep.

My favorite a Tuvok episode! Shortly after breakfast Tuvok begins to shake and then has a flashback/panic attack about dropping a little girl who he was attempting to rescue from a cliff (the young Tuvok is too cute)! On a side note, I really do love Neelix’s apron/chef’s hats!!

I love it that the Doctor has sarcasm. He really is a great character and I would love to see him in more episodes…my husband accidently leaked to me that eventually he will be able to move around the ship, and I cannot wait! So when Vulcans have panic attacks they make card houses, or something like them? Why is Tuvok always in the dark when he is in his quarters? He usually has candles lite, rather than lights. Is it just a personal preference? Also, they look like real candles. I feel like there would be a ship rule about candles/fire hazards???

Maybe it is just because it is Halloween but I am feeling a little wicked…when they showed the flashback for a second time I laughed hysterically at the little girl falling. Her facial features and the special effects of her fall were kind of funny. It looked the girl wasn’t moving, and that they were just moving the backdrop and giving it some fancy flashes.

When Tuvok was asking Janeway for help he mentioned that he was considering asking another Vulcan on board…there are other Vulcans on board? By the way, first time I have actually seen George Takei on TV! I love his voice! I haven’t made it to the OS yet, but I will eventually!! (I really enjoy following Takei on facebook)! When Tuvok makes his objection to Captain Sulu the blond chick in the background has the best expression of pure shock and dismay; for being a side character her acting is pretty good!

Overall, I really liked this episode. We had further background character development for Tuvok, and another bonding experience for Janeway and Tuvok! I generally prefer arc episodes, or episodes that connect to previous episodes, but for a stand-alone episode…this may be my favorite so far!

Favorite part: When Tuvok was fixing Captian Sulu tea, and Janeway leaned over and said, “You never brought me tea”!
Least favorite part: With the flashback to Tuvok’s bunk beds they went to sleep in their uniforms…where are their PJ’s?

I really like this one too, great seeing Captain Sulu finally. George Takei was really good in Heroes, but, unfortunately he didn't appear much before that Series slid down in quality

The Blonde woman is another Original Series Character/Actor. If you've ever seen Yoeman Janice pictures (Wearing a short red mini-dress and the Basket Weave hair that stands almost as tall as Marge Simpson's), that's her.

Actually they did a good job of getting every little extra from the Excelsior crew back for this episode. Though if you watch STVI again, Dmitri's ghost is standing in the Excelsior crew shot when they're talking to Kirk at the end of the movie.

Flashback
When Tuvok was asking Janeway for help he mentioned that he was considering asking another Vulcan on board…there are other Vulcans on board?

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Yep, there's at least one -- Ensign Vorik, whom you will meet in Season #3 and periodically thereafter. The actor who plays him is Jeri Taylor's son, so she obviously managed to shoot him the occasional gig on the show ... But he's quite good, too.

Oh, and as for the darkness and candles? Yeah, that's a cultural thing, apparently. Vulcan zen. I'm sure whatever safety regulations there are would be overridden by the Federation's rules on permitting certain cultural celebrations provided any safety issues are handled responsibly (blow 'em out before you go to bed ...). At one point B'Elanna burns some incense that the Captain (I believe) remarks should set off the environmental controls ...

[LEFT]VOY followed a wormhole that leads to the Alpha Quadrant and found a planet with possible replicator use/possible contact with their quadrant, so they sent Paris and Chakotay down to investigate. (I do enjoy episodes were the characters get to go out of uniform)! Chakotay and Paris want to visit a temple so they had to trade their shoes for necklaces displaying ears! (Before the Ferengi showed up in front of the temple I had actually previously wrote: “Really…Ears…I wonder if the Ferengi would sell their giant ears to make a profit there?”) Good guess!![/LEFT]

[LEFT]I am happy Tuvok brought the Prime Directive up in conversation with Janeway because removing the Ferengi false Profits seems like it would break it, but hey, Janeway can talk circles around the PD to make it fit her idea! [/LEFT]

[LEFT]I love it that the “Huumanns” basically called the principal on the two “profits”, or so the two profits thought! I knew it would be Neelix in disguise! I don’t know why, but I just had a sneaking suspicion! Ferengi really make me happy. They are hysterical and always well dressed! The VOY crew basically stages a religious overthrow and makes the people think that by destroying their profits they would be helping them by fulfilling the prophecies…VOY makes it appear that the prophecy was completed, but they actually take the Ferengi, but they escape and fly off into a wormhole.[/LEFT]

[LEFT]Favorite part: When Paris started chanting, “Lead them Back” and got the whole crowd to start yelling it!! Nothing like an angry mob! Especially, a religious angry mob![/LEFT]

[LEFT]Least favorite part: The ear necklaces were kind of gross![/LEFT]

Actually they did a good job of getting every little extra from the Excelsior crew back for this episode. Though if you watch STVI again, Dmitri's ghost is standing in the Excelsior crew shot when they're talking to Kirk at the end of the movie.

What impressed me in False Profits was that the Ferengi valued profit so much that they were willing to be cut off from the entire Alpha quadrant and marooned on a planet where no other Ferengi could see their wealth but they could keep acquiring it. I think it revealed how intense the drive to acquire was.

[LEFT]Why don’t they change out of their uniform when they are on shore leave? Kes found a glowing shrine and when she walked closer for inspection she was buffeted backward and knocked out. Neelix uncovers a way that Kes may be saved; Janeway has to go through the Monk’s ritual and plead for Kes’ life. [/LEFT]

[LEFT]As Janeway prepares for the ritual she is stripped and cleaned by her guide, who also takes away all of the technology and censors. It appears that her challenge is feeling helpless. I officially hate this episode, let me explain why. First, this past Sunday my husband and I were hiking and he walked by a bush and on the other side of the bush was a Mohave Green Rattlesnake. When I looked up he was in a mid-air jump with a rattler at his feet. He was only 6 inches away from it when he heard a hiss and a rattle. He was fine, but it was a close and scary call! So, needless to say I was actually yelling at the TV, “Don’t reach your hand into the hissing/rattling basket Janeway, Don’t do it”!! Yeah, a three-fanged snake…eeekk. I almost turned this ridiculous episode off.[/LEFT]

[LEFT]Favorite part: Ummm….Janeway got to play with finger paints….[/LEFT]

[LEFT]Least favorite part: What a horrible episode to end the season with. Basics 1 &2 would have been a much better choice. [/LEFT]

Whoever, (netflix?) is showing you this stuff, might be airing it in production order opposed to actual airing dates. Basics part one is the final episode of series two. I first noticed this whenever the local station would try to air TOS, they'd always start with the Mantrap (The one with the salt monster) rather than either of the pilots.

I loved this episode becuase Janeway lost.

She was an arrogant prick who got humbled.

problem was, now that she believed that she was humble, the poor old girl felt even freer to be a more intensely arrogant and a much larger prick, becuase it would be impossible to relearn this lesson she'd already become qualifed for.

Whoever, (netflix?) is showing you this stuff, might be airing it in production order opposed to actual airing dates. Basics part one is the final episode of series two. I first noticed this whenever the local station would try to air TOS, they'd always start with the Mantrap (The one with the salt monster) rather than either of the pilots.

I loved this episode becuase Janeway lost.

She was an arrogant prick who got humbled.

problem was, now that she believed that she was humble, the poor old girl felt even freer to be a more intensely arrogant and a much larger prick, becuase it would be impossible to relearn this lesson she'd already become qualifed for.

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I am watching this on Amazon Prime. Here, it shows Basics 1 & 2, False Profits, and then Sacred Ground. It would make so much more sense if Basics was the season end! Darn internet TV!

[LEFT]I like Paris when he is angry, and I like Kim when he is getting the crap beat out of him! Paris and Kim are in a prison because they are thought to have bombed an area. Janeway is trying to get them out, but the leader of the planet wants to arrest the entire ship. Meanwhile in prison Paris is stabbed, and Kim has to try and save him![/LEFT]

[LEFT]Janeway finds the ship responsible for the bomb on the planet. Kim teamed up with another fellow to help them escape (without which Paris will die from his injuries). Kim and Paris have been drugged while in the labor camp, and have trouble keeping it together. I do have to say, even though I find Kim annoying, he did an awesome job of watching after Paris in this episode! In the end, Janeway and her crew swept in and saved Kim and Paris. [/LEFT]

[LEFT]Favorite part: Prisoner to Kim, “How much do you want for the dead man’s boots?” Don’t know why, but that made me laugh!![/LEFT]

[LEFT]Least favorite part: That Neelix wasn’t able to take over for Paris for a couple of days. (He asked at the end when he thought Paris would need a few days to recover). That would have made for a fun episode! I can only imagine how many things would have went wrong![/LEFT]

I don't think you do this episode justice in your comments. It was one of the more gripping, if not harrowing, explorations of torture/inhumane justice ever done on ST, second only to the TNG episode "Chain of Command". (BTW detainees in the Akritiri system weren't drugged; they were subject to an implant into their brain -- "the clamp" -- that stimulates natural aggressive tendencies, essentially setting inmates against each other like fighting dogs.)

The episode is also a pretty deep exploration of the friendship between Tom and Harry, starting with Tom saving Harry's life at the very beginning (no doubt drawing on his prior experience as a jailbird, and aware how the pecking order there works) and then getting stabbed protecting him -- which in turn leads to the reversal of their traditional roles. Ultimately, with Harry beating himself up over almost having killed his best friend, Tom then comes back to save him from those thoughts ("This man is my friend -- I'll remember that for a very long time.") Pretty powerful stuff.

The Action-Kate aspects were a bit less successful, in my mind, although there was a nice bit of continuity remembering that Neelix' old ship was still in one of the shuttle bays.

All in all, one of the finest hours of Voyager -- although difficult to watch if you've ever spent any time dealing with real-life human rights abuse situations, especially when it comes to conditions of detention.

When I first saw The Chute I was insanely pleased with all that Tom/Paris subtext but really that's all you get for the whole series. I think it's a standout episode that has a quite different feel to much of the show.

There's some more of that in "Thirty Days," but yeah -- the whole ex-Con thing was seriously under-exploited. I've had a ball with it in my stories as a result -- lots of empty room left in which to maneuver!

I don't think you do this episode justice in your comments. It was one of the more gripping, if not harrowing, explorations of torture/inhumane justice ever done on ST, second only to the TNG episode "Chain of Command". (BTW detainees in the Akritiri system weren't drugged; they were subject to an implant into their brain -- "the clamp" -- that stimulates natural aggressive tendencies, essentially setting inmates against each other like fighting dogs.)

The episode is also a pretty deep exploration of the friendship between Tom and Harry, starting with Tom saving Harry's life at the very beginning (no doubt drawing on his prior experience as a jailbird, and aware how the pecking order there works) and then getting stabbed protecting him -- which in turn leads to the reversal of their traditional roles. Ultimately, with Harry beating himself up over almost having killed his best friend, Tom then comes back to save him from those thoughts ("This man is my friend -- I'll remember that for a very long time.") Pretty powerful stuff.

The Action-Kate aspects were a bit less successful, in my mind, although there was a nice bit of continuity remembering that Neelix' old ship was still in one of the shuttle bays.

All in all, one of the finest hours of Voyager -- although difficult to watch if you've ever spent any time dealing with real-life human rights abuse situations, especially when it comes to conditions of detention.

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I don't disagree with anything you wrote. I didn't think it was a bad episode at all; I was just watching it while I worked, so my write-up was short. Thanks for the correction on the "clamp". I must have walked away when they described it. I will have to make a point to re-watch this when I am not so distracted!